Schalick girls soccer's Nikki Adams wins Salem County Player of the Year

Schalick junior midfielder Nikki Adams was second in the county with 24 goals and led the county with 14 assists. (Britney Lillya)

After two seasons as a complementary player, Schalick’s Nikki Adams (left) was the offensive leader for Schalick. (Britney Lillya)

In her first opportunity in the driver's seat, Nikki Adams steered her team to the South Jersey final and a division title.

"She was our engine, as she went we went," Schalick High School girls soccer coach Christine Roeschke said. "She's a playmaker. She sees the field. If she loses the ball she works back and wins it. She starts our attack and plays defense."

After being a complementary player during her freshman and sophomore seasons, Adams took the reins this season with 24 goals, 14 assists and a dominating presence in the midfield unrivaled in Salem County. For all of that, Adams is this season's Today's Sunbeam girls soccer Player of the Year. Adams was second to only Pennsville's Chelsea Abhau (26) in goals while leading Salem County in assists.

"She's gotten better every year," Roeschke said. "With each season she's gotten more confident on the ball and she's not afraid to take anyone on one-on-one. She's so strong on the ball, it's tough to take her off it."

"She's the one girl we game-planned around all season," Clayton coach Chris Baker said. "The one girl we worried about."

Adams scored 15 and nine goals in her freshman and sophomore seasons behind the dominating midfield presence of Rachel Copare, who graduated last spring.

"Rachel Copare wasn't there anymore and she was such a good player for us," Adams said. "I had to do less when she was on the field. When I played with her before I might have had a chance to shoot, but I'd pass it off to her and she'd put it in. But going into this season I knew with Rachel gone I'd have to take more shots and put more away.

That she did.

Adams had seven multi-goal games, including a pair of scores in a key Tri-County Conference Classic Division game against Clayton.

But her biggest delivery was scoring the game's only goal in Schalick's 1-0 victory vs. Glassboro in the South Jersey Group I semifinals.

"I knew I had to step up in the second half (vs. Glassboro)," Adams said. "We just weren't getting anything. They were dominating us the entire game. ... When I got on a breakaway, I went for the goal because that's what the team needed."

That all-important goal was set up by one of Adams' best friends on the team, senior forward Kendel Bernardini (17 goals, nine assists). Bernardini's great technical skill and dynamic passing were the perfect complement to Adams.

But as the county-leading 14 assists illustrate, Adams' newfound scoring prowess didn't come at the expense of her distributing skills.

"Nikki is good with the ball, but she's not selfish," senior midfielder Rachel Gross said. "She's one of the hardest working players on the field. Everyone knows she puts the work in and never gives up and she (always puts) the team first."

"It was nice getting to score more this season, but I don't really care about scoring," Adams said. "I like setting people up more, so the assists mean a lot, too."

Adams has shown consistent improvement each season, as is evident in her goal-scoring numbers. But, if not more important, it has been her growth as a leader and a player that can be depended on.

Adams also scored in Schalick's 3-1 quarterfinal win against Audubon.

"As a player at her level and caliber, she never gets discouraged if she passes the ball to someone and they lost it," Roeschke said. "She works back and gets (the ball) back. She tries to make the people around her better with her play and her encouragement. That's helped the whole team out a lot."

"I think it gets a little easier every year," Adams said. "You know what to expect. You get more confident as you get older and you get more confident with the ball at your feet.

"But there's always room to grow and get better throughout your career. I've had really good trainers and coaches and they've taught me well. But I still need to improve."